


First Chance

by beauty_in_gold



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Rumbelle - Fandom
Genre: Belle French - Freeform, F/M, House of Cards - Freeform, Nicholas Gold - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-07 06:10:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4252314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beauty_in_gold/pseuds/beauty_in_gold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the first fanfiction I have ever written. It is a OUAT/House of Cards crossover where Mr. Gold is a successful congressman and Belle is his young assistant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Belle pressed the end of her pen to her bottom lip and furrowed her brow. Her eyes darted back and forth from her notes to the speaker behind the podium. The congressman was speaking very well today, presenting his bill and dodging the tough questions with a flare of his hand. Belle had been so worried all week about this speech, but she had prepared him well. There had been a lot of late nights at the office and she was grateful the day was finally here. He had come a long way. As the congressman finished speaking Belle came to meet him at the bottom of the stage. She reached for his elbow and he leaned into her as she helped him down the last stair. He repositioned his cane into his right hand and nodded thanks to her.

“Nicholas, you were stunning. We need to work on responding to that question about Watershed, but you’ve come very far.” Her words were sharp and quick, always professional. Belle had been working on Nick’s campaign for over a year now and was very good at her job. They walked down to the car together, sliding side by side into the back seat. Nick still hadn’t said a word since leaving the stage. This wasn’t strange for him, he wasn’t a necessarily chatty person, but Belle expected something. They rode the entire way back to the office in complete silence. When the car pulled up to the curb Belle turned to look at him. 

“Nicholas?” It came out softer than she intended and when he didn’t respond she worried he hadn’t heard her. After a few moments passed Nick lifted his head and looked at her. Her blue eyes were oceans ready to over flow; he couldn’t look directly at them. A few more moments passed.

“Milah is leaving me.” He folded and unfolded his hands in his lap. He hadn’t intended on telling anyone until the divorce was finalized but he felt like he couldn’t hold on anymore. When he finally looked back up those oceans in her eyes had spilled down her cheek. He reached out and swiped one away with the pad of his thumb.

“I’m sorry Nicholas. I had no idea” She dropped her chin and her voice with it. “I know how much your family means to you. Is she ta-” Before she could finish her thought there was a tap on the glass behind her head. She turned to see Congressman Russo standing outside of the car. Belle patted Nick on the knee waited a beat and then climbed out of the car. 

“Congressman Russo!” She hugged him around the neck and laid a kiss on his cheek. “Are we late?” She glanced down at her watch, then back at the car. Nick hadn’t moved.

“No, no of course not. I was walking up and I saw your car. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.” The congressman gestured toward the car. Belle turned and looked at Nick again; he was unmoving in the back seat.

“Oh not at all.” She said turning back to Russo. We we’re just reviewing the speech Nicholas gave. That Watershed act got us again.” She gave a faint smile and gestured toward the office. “Shall we?” Belle glanced one last time over her shoulder as they climbed the stairs to Nick’s office. She saw Nick reaching for his cane as he slowly got out of the SUV. She let out a soft sigh and turned around.  
————–  
The rest of the day proceeded as normal. Meeting’s to affirm votes all afternoon and a very important charity event all evening. The event was beautiful, Claire always put together such elegant parties. If Nick was still upset he was hiding it very well. He mingled and chatted and even improved his argument for Watershed. His tuxedo hung nicely around his shoulders but Belle could tell he had lost some weight. Belle noticed though; she noticed how his eyes went glassy as some politician rambled away to him. He nodded politely when needed. She noticed how he couldn’t hold her eyes for more than a second before his gaze shot across the room.

Belle felt so out of place not at Nick’s side, but she felt it better to leave him be for the evening. She had been a part of this lifestyle long enough to hold her own though. Belle was not a politician, simply an aid they used. She always told herself she didn’t have it in her to run her own campaign, that she wasn’t strong enough. Seeing Nick flow from one political figure to the next like his whole world wasn’t crumbling in front of him, Belle knew she couldn’t do that. Hell, she wanted to cry just thinking about it.

At the end of the evening Belle walked into his office to see him with his face resting in his palms and his elbows propped up on his expansive black oak desk.

“Nicholas? It’s late.” She stepped forward but he didn’t move. “Tomorrow is the brunch with the chief of staff. You should really get some sleep.” She set her hand at the edge of his desk, lowered herself into a squat and leaned down to see his face. She could see the dampness of the papers rumpled underneath his arms. She reached forward and placed her palm on the back of his head, a few of his curls brushed down into his face. “Nicholas?” He lifted his head up and her hand fell back to the desk. His cheeks were damp and his eyes bloodshot. He just looked at her. Really looked at her, for the first time since this morning. She wanted to cry for him all over again, but she figured it best to fight back the tears. She sat in the seat opposite him and brought her face down to his. Neither of them dropped their gaze.

“Belle. I have no where left to go.”


	2. Turn of Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gold needs to get out of the office and clear his mind. He ends up running into Belle and things take an interesting turn.

After a week of sleeping on the cot in his office Nick was going stir crazy. The only time he left the office this week was when he knew Milah was at work and he could stop by the house for a shower and fresh clothes. He hadn’t told anyone but Belle about the separation and he didn’t plan on it. After 17 years of marriage Nick wasn’t prepared to embrace the single life, he still wore his wedding ring and still tapped it on his desk when he walked out of the room. 

He saw the way Belle looked at him and it cut too deep, so he had taken to just not looking at her at all. There was so much to worry about in congress right now; he didn’t have time for personal matters. However, Belle took every free moment to check on him and ask if he was okay. She was an endearing girl and he knew she meant well but he didn’t want to be coddled. He would rather pretend it wasn’t happening.

On Saturday morning Nick sat at the end of his cot and slipped on his shoes. Walking down the hall to the restroom he buttoned his shirt to the top and cuffed his sleeves. The government didn’t take time off and neither could he. He leaned over the sink and splashed some cool water on his face. Inspecting himself in the mirror he realized how badly he needed a shave. He ran a hand through the scruff that had appeared along his jawline. His beard was coming in much too grey for his liking, it showed his age. He made a mental note to grab his shaving kit next time he made it to the house; which wouldn’t be today. Milah didn’t work on Saturdays and he couldn’t be sure of when she would be out of the house. He could always call her and ask to come over but that would only be subjecting himself to another screaming match and he wasn’t stable enough for that today. Instead he grabbed his cane from in front of his desk and made his way to the front door. The gold handle rested perfectly in his grasp and he held on a little tighter than usual.

The diner Nick frequented for breakfast was only a few blocks away from the office and he usually walked but his knee was giving him problems today and he called Morrison instead. The large black SUV pulled up to the curb and the brawny man climbed out of the driver seat.

“Good morning Congressman.” Morrison said, reaching for the back door. 

“Good Morning Morrison. Hope I didn’t wake you.” Nick climbed into the back seat without waiting for a response. Morrison closed the door and resumed his position behind the wheel. After a short drive they arrived at the diner. 

Morrison opened the door to the SUV and Nick slid out. As he reached for his cane he caught a glimpse of something through the window of the diner. It was Belle, sitting at a booth alone with a cup of coffee and a sizable book. Nick sighed heavily and considered getting back into the car when Morrison chimed in.

“Look Sir! Ms. Belle is already here.”Morrison pointed across the sidewalk to the window. Nick placed his head in his palm and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Yes Morrison, it appears she is. Please, find a place to park and I will call you when I’ve finished eating.” Morrison gave a curt nod and jumped back in the driver’s seat. Nick made his way into the diner, nodding a polite hello to the young waitress. He staggered his way to the booth Belle was sitting at and stopped at the end of the table.

“Good morning Belle” he let out with a soft smile. Belle looked up and her grin covered her entire face.

“Nicholas! What a pleasant surprise! Please, sit and join me.” Her tone was cheery and bright, much different than the gentle voice she had been using around him lately. She talked to him as if she thought even the tone of her words might break him.

He slid into the booth and motioned toward the book. “Anything good?” he asked, trying to keep the subject matter on her and off of himself. 

“Well, it’s my favorite. Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, and a prince in disguise!” She giggled, realizing how that must sound to a man of Nick’s position. She bowed her head and fiddled with the coffee cup in her hands. “Reading is kind of my escape from the politics. I guess when I like to get away from the stress I try and get as far away as possible.” She smiled down at the cup.

Nick tried to recall the last time he read a book for pleasure, nothing came to mind. He had been so busy lately he didn’t have much time for anything but work and more work. He thought her nerves were genuine and he smiled at himself. She had been his assistant for over a year now and Nick noticed in that moment he didn’t really know much about her. He flipped through the dusty memories in his mind and tried to gather up something personal about her. He vaguely recalled her having to leave for a week to help her father move somewhere else; he racked his mind for more details. When nothing came up he blurted out “How’s your father doing?” It came out louder and more abrupt than he had planned and it made her jerk her head up. One long brown curl fell into her eyes and a smile crawled across her lips and she pushed the curl behind her ear. Nick’s face flushed red and he fiddled with the cane in his lap.

“My father is well. He is really enjoying Florida.” She smiled and tilted her head slightly. “Thank you for asking”.

Florida. Nick made a point to try and remember that for future small talk. “And your boyfriend? How is he?” Nick looked up as the dark haired waitress set a plate of food down in front him. Two eggs over easy, sausage home fries and rye toast that he hadn’t even ordered. He had become such a regular that most of the wait staff knew exactly what he wanted at any time of the day. He flicked a smile up at the waitress as she sauntered off. The bright red streaks in her hair catching his eye for a moment longer.

Belle let out a nervous giggle. “Uh, Gaston and I haven’t been together for a little while now. I guess I forgot to mention it.” Her voice dropped off, heavier than usual.

Nick turned four different shades of red and he could feel it all the way down to his toes. He reached out placed his hand on top of hers, which were sitting in front of her coffee cup. Maybe it was because he could relate to relationship problems or maybe it was because he had grown so fond of her.

“I’m really sorry Belle, I should have known.” His eyes were like warm chocolate and that melted her heart. His Scottish accent, watered down by too many years in the states, still rolled gentle off his tongue. His thumb rolled gentle across the back of her hand. With her other hand she reached up and cupped his chin. She rubbed her thumb across the salt and pepper stubble she found there.

“Would you like to come back to my place?”


	3. Cowardice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick accepts Belle's invitation to go back to her place. Embarrassment and fleeing follow.

Nick’s thumb stopped moving and his jaw fell open. He had no idea what to say to that. Belle’s expression remained kind and her eyes stayed soft. Nick paused for a few more minutes before choking out an answer.  
“I, uh, I don’t think that is the best idea Belle”. The words stuck in his throat as he turned the question over and over again in his head.  
“I was just thinking you could use a shower and a shave Nicholas, you look rough”. Her face scrunched and he realized how ridiculous he was being. Of course, she just wanted to make sure he was okay. Nothing more.  
“That is very kind of you, but I think I’ll be alright”.  
“Nicholas stop. You’re allowed to accept help when it is offered to you. You clearly need it.” She pulled her hand away from his face and smirked. “Besides, it reflects poorly on me when I can’t keep my boss looking good. Come on, I’m just around the corner.”Nick glanced down at the plate of food that was sitting in front of him, still untouched.  
“I, uh” he sighed. “Okay, can I eat first?” His puppy dog eyes looked up at her from under his brow. Belle let out a soft giggle and grabbed her book.  
“Of course Nicholas. I’ll text Morrison my address and you can meet me there”. She smiled at him softly and stood up. She tossed a few dollars on the table for her coffee and smiled down at him one more time. “See you soon!”  
Nick stared into his plate, making sure not to watch her as she walked out. He couldn’t let himself get distracted by her. It wasn’t that Belle wasn’t beautiful, because she was. Her long brown hair curled perfectly around her face and her skin looked like it glowed from the inside out. Nick had always noticed how stunning she looked at events, in her gowns that were so perfectly chosen for her body. It wasn’t any of that. Nick had loved Milah for so long he had forgotten what it was like to even look at other women. When she asked him over to her place, every possible scenario flashed through his head; some of them unsavory. Nick was so caught off guard by his own reaction that he just sat still for a long while.  
Does this mean I don’t love Milah anymore? He thought to himself. Even as he thought it he knew it wasn’t true. If he didn’t love Milah anymore her leaving him wouldn’t have hurt so bad.  
Nick decided he wasn’t that hungry after all and spent fifteen minutes pushing his eggs around his plate with his fork. What’s so bad about being attracted to her anyway? He couldn’t believe that thought just crossed his mind. Was he really attracted to Belle? After all the time they had spent together, completely platonically, why did he find himself suddenly enamored by her? He tried to shake the thought from his head as he stood up to leave. He dropped a significant amount of money on the table, enough to cover his bill and leave a sizable tip, then walked out the front door.  
Morrison was leaning against the black SUV waiting for Nick to approach. As he opened the back door he asked “To Ms. Belle’s, sir?” Nick nodded his head and climbed in the back seat.  
It took less than a moment to drive the two streets down to Belles flat. Nick sat in the car staring up at the building and sighed heavily into the window.  
“Everything alright, sir?” Morrison chimed.  
“Should I go up there Morrison?”  
“I, um, Ms. Belle is waiting for you , sir. I suppose you should.” Morrison was confused by Nick’s hesitation.  
“I suppose” Nick said and climbed out of the vehicle.  
Belle’s flat was on the 6th floor and Nick was relieved to see an elevator when he walked in the door. He looked around the lobby of her building and was shocked. Belle had come from a wealthy family and Nick had expected her to be in a nicer place uptown. When he reached her floor he walked to the end of the hall and knocked on the door numbered 608.  
Nick heard a muffled “Come in” shouted from somewhere behind the door and cautiously entered the apartment. Once he was inside he saw the essence of Belle everywhere. Of course this is what her home would look like. There was a bouquet of beautiful yellow roses in a tall vase on a small dining table. The floor plan was open and sunlight rolled in from an expansive window that stretched across the living room.  
“Belle?” Nick pushed a little further into the apartment when Belle came bouncing out of a bedroom. She was pulling her hair up into a high pony tail and had changed into a white t-shirt and jeans. With her arms up, tangled in her hair, her shirt lifted just slightly and her skin was exposed just above her jeans. Nick blushed and look down at the wood floor, cursing himself for even noticing.  
“You came!” Belle giggled, pushing open a door on the opposite side of the room. “I have a wardrobe in the guest room that has a few of your planned outfits from events but unfortunately I only have the one shower, in my bathroom”. Nick was still in shock at seeing his, always professional, assistant in jeans. He had completely missed what she said. When he realized she was waiting for a response his eyes got wide and he stared at her.  
“What?”  
“Clothes here, shower there.” She said pointing across the apartment at the door she had come out of the first time. “Got it?” She asked, setting her hand on his shoulder. Nick nodded, face still in awe. “Perfect. I have to fold some laundry, but if you need anything let me know.” She turned to walk out and remembered something. “Oh! There’s also a new shaving kit under the sink. It’s never been used. It was, um, left behind.” She tried to smile but it was weak.  
“Thank you, Belle. Really, you didn’t have to do this.” Nicks voice was soft. He still wasn’t sure what was going on with him right now. She smiled and walked out into the living room.  
Nick looked into the wardrobe she had left open in front of him. There were several shirts, pants, jackets, and even a tuxedo. This woman really was prepared for everything. He reached in and pulled out a dark blue button down and a pair of black slacks. Walking out of the guestroom he saw Belle sitting on her couch with a huge laundry basket at her feet. She smiled up at him and nodded toward her bedroom door.  
Nick had forgotten what it was like to enjoy a shower. It had been over a week since he had taken his time and just stood there, letting the water run down his back. He needed to think right now, because he hadn’t been thinking clearly all morning. He took his time in the shower and when he was finished he pulled the shaving kit out from under the sink. It was a nice one, an actual razor with a straight edge blade on it. He wondered if it had been a gift intended for Gaston. He wiped the steam from the mirror and proceeded to shave off the scruff that had grown over the last couple days.  
Once Nick was shaved and dressed he walked into the living room feeling significantly better. That is until he looked at the clothes all neatly folded on the table in front of Belle. Dresses and slacks and t-shirts all folded neatly into little piles, and then, right there at the end of the table, was a pile of lacey panties. There were at least a dozen of them, in all different colors.  
“Nicholas, are you alright.”He looked up at her but words wouldn’t form. He turned ghost white and felt dizzy.  
“I have to go.” He said, running out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle pursues Nick in an attempt to find out what happened. Unfortunately she discovers more than she bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came as a result of all the anon hate I received. I was so upset that I wanted to scrap this fic all together and not write anymore. This is possibly my least popular fic and I don’t care. I write for that that read it, for those that don’t, I’m okay with that. Find all the chapters on AO3

 

Belle stared wordlessly at her closed door. The sound of it slamming still echoed in her ears and her teeth worried her bottom lip. Quickly she stood up and ran to the window just in time to see Nick jump into the backseat of the SUV. Morrison maneuvered it into traffic and her eyes followed it until it was out of view. She pulled the curtains closed and pushed a fallen curl behind her ear. _That was bizarre_ she thought to herself as she dropped back down onto the couch. Digging in between the piles of clothes on her coffee table she fished out her phone. She fired off a text to Nick that consisted of several question marks and then slumped deeper into the couch. The low drone of voices on her television tugged at her attention and she forced herself to finish folding clothes before she became a slave to Hell’s Kitchen.

* * *

 

 

After checking over his shoulder a few times Nick finally settled into his seat and let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. There was too much going on in his head to focus on any one thought at the moment. His knee ached at how rapidly he had fled Belle’s apartment and he absentmindedly rubbed a hand over it.  

“Everything alright, sir?” Morrison’s voice drifted back from the driver’s seat and Nick jumped slightly. Everything was in fact, not alright. He had just seen his assistant’s undergarment collection and proceeded to run away from it like a school boy. Soon a blush covered his body and he felt his face warm. It was probably better not to explain those details out loud, to anyone, ever.

“Uh, yes. I’m fine.” He tugged at his cuffs and ran his hand through his hair near his temple; nervous ticks. In a moment he realized he smelled like her, her shower products lingering on his skin. Suddenly his mouth went dry and he couldn’t form words.

“Okay, sir. You just look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Morrison chuckled and Nick rolled his eyes so hard he feared they might fall out of his head. _Much worse than a ghost._ Before he could reply, his phone chimed in his pants pocket. When he pulled it out Belle’s name blinked across the screen followed by a trail of question marks. Nick groaned and stuffed the phone back in his pocket without replying; he couldn’t do this right now. Before long the car pulled up at the office and Morrison swung open the back door.

“I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on today, Morrison.” A lie. “Why don’t you take the rest of today off?”

“Thank you, sir.” Morrison drove the SUV to the parking garage and retrieved his own car as Nick disappeared into the building. This was one of those rare weekends they didn’t have any major events planned and Nick didn’t expect to see Belle again until Monday morning. Passing through the lobby and making his way back to his office he didn’t bother turning on any lights. He had a migraine and wanted nothing more than to start this day over, and it wasn’t even 10am. Resting his elbows on his desk pushed his thumbs into his temples. All at once he was exhausted and the weight of his body seemed overwhelming.

_What the hell is wrong with you?_  Here he sat, a congressman in charge of lawmaking for the entire country and he couldn’t even control the hormones in his own body. He slammed both his arms down and drew in a deep breath before slowly letting it out. His heartrate was still elevated and he needed to calm down before he had a stroke. Suddenly, an idea sprung into his head and he began counting out months on his fingers. Once he reached eleven he fell back into his chair and groaned. It had been eleven months since he and Milah had been intimate and it was clearly having an adverse effect on his body. However, it was just something he was going to have to get over as no solution was readily present. He’d been out of the game a long time and wasn’t planning on hitting a homerun anytime soon. Regardless, every woman he knew was married, or Belle.

While Belle was strikingly beautiful and smart as a whip, she was still Belle. Images of her started flooding his mind and he smiled at them. The way she scrunched her nose when he suggested implementing the seedier side of politics; the way her perfect white teeth bit down on the end of her pen when she took notes; the way her tan line was just visible over the neckline of the gown she wore last week. _Wait… what?_ He wasn’t even aware that he had noticed that at the time, when had he started taking note of things like that? The way her plump bottom lip quivered when he told her of Milah’s leaving; the small strip of porcelain skin visible below her shirt this morning; the way that same skin would feel under his fingers. _Oh bloody hell, get a grip._ Nick looked down at the betrayal in his trousers and groaned. He felt like a pervert, not only was Belle his assistant, she was significantly younger than him. Now he was just a dirty old man. _Is this what happens to a man after divorce?_ This was Belle he was thinking about; sweet, polite, all business Belle. He shook his head to clear the thought and pushed the heel of his hand against the bulge in his pants. This divorce was going to be grueling in more ways than he originally planned.

* * *

 

 

Belle finished folding her laundry and was in the process of putting it away when she checked her phone. Nothing, same as the seventeen times she checked it before. She exaggerated a sigh and bent down into the closet to pull on a pair of sneakers. If he wasn’t going to answer on his own, she was going to make him. Used to living on the sixth floor she locked the door to her apartment and headed down the stairs two at a time. A few blocks away from her building she stopped to buy a coffee and regain her thoughts. _What the Hell happened back there?_ It all happened too quickly and the only thing she could remember was the smell of her sandalwood body wash wafting off his skin before he fled. Belle sipped her coffee and savored the bitterness as she tried to recall more details. His cheeks were flush, from the shave she supposed, and his hair lay in damp strands around his face. Then suddenly his eyes went dark and his skin went white and he was gone, just like that. She spent the rest of the walk trying to figure out what could have possibly warranted a response like that. On top of that he wouldn’t text her back.

 

At this point she was more annoyed than anything, which was a shame because it was actually a beautiful day. A light breeze picked up the curls at the nape of her neck that were too short to tie up and the sun warmed her cheeks. This city wasn’t home, it never would be, but on days like today she could appreciate it. When she marched up the steps to the office she couldn’t see any lights on and she paused. _Maybe he decided not to come back here?_ The thought hadn’t occurred to her before this moment as she thought hard about any other place he could be. She dug into her coat pocket for her keys and juggled them around until the right one came up. However, when she shoved the key in the door she found it was already unlocked. A good tug proved her suspicions and she wandered into the lobby.

The entire building was dark but the door was unlocked and the alarm had been deactivated. After standing aimlessly in the lobby for a moment a solid thud at the end of the hallway drew her attention. Moving slowly she followed the noise toward the back of the building. All of the aggression that had carried her on the balls of her feet to this point left her body and suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up.

When she got to the end of the hallway she froze outside of Nick’s office. A low grunt came from behind the cracked door, it sounded like he was in pain. Worry flooded all of her senses and Belle burst into the room, expecting to find him on the floor. He was not on the floor. He was seated behind his desk with his eyes closed and his head tossed back. Belle froze as she tried to take in what was happening in front of her. Beads of sweat formed at his temples and his hair was pushed back away from his face. His lips parted and another small grunt tumbled from his mouth and a slight shake racked across his shoulders. Belle’s eyes widened and she gently whispered _oh_ before she could stop herself. Nick’s eyes shot open and as soon as he was aware of her presence he jumped to his feet. Pure terror reflected in his eyes as she followed his form down to his crotch. Nick’s long, solid fingers were wrapped firmly around his cock, which had been pulled through the zipper of his pants. He followed her gaze and realized the position he was in, quickly throwing his hands up and knocking himself off balance. He tumbled to the ground with a pretty hefty _oaf,_ knocking his chair askew and pulling a few papers down with him. In an instant Belle was kneeling at his side, her hand resting under his head, fingers laced through his hair.

“Nicholas, are you alright?’ Every fiber of her being wanted to allow her eyes to wander but she fought the curiosity. Instead she picked a strand of hair on his forehead to focus on. He was readjusting his trousers and pulled himself into a sit. She couldn’t decide whose face was redder and deduced it was probably his. Once he was properly tucked away he couldn’t meet her eyes, focusing instead on his knee which was now screaming in pain.

“Well, I’ve had better mornings.”


End file.
